


Tell Me You Want Me

by crimson__witch



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: BDSM, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Power Dynamics, Sexual Tension, Trauma, Trust Issues, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:27:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23790811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimson__witch/pseuds/crimson__witch
Summary: (AU) Zelda has granted Lilith asylum, and Lilith has (grudgingly) agreed to join the new coven worshipping Hecate.  Thrust together under the same roof, tension and temptation build, each witch struggling to resist the other...
Relationships: Zelda Spellman & Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith, Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Comments: 37
Kudos: 95





	1. avoidance

**Author's Note:**

> what started as purely Zilith BDSM smut has turned into an actual, slow-burn story... BDSM coming in future chapters. enjoy!

Zelda could not sleep. Far too much had happened, was happening, was going to happen — and she was at the center of it all, uniting, protecting, empowering, leading. She had come dangerously close to losing everything and yet a stranger, a kind stranger had stepped in, had helped her family save her life. Of late her thoughts wandered all too often to Marie — an enigma, a warm, captivating enigma she was beginning to unravel in more ways than one.

Her thoughts drifted. Somehow, Sabrina had dethroned Lilith and paved the road to the Dark Lord’s release and yet despite her niece’s dangerously catastrophic savior complex, they had survived. Barely. Of course there was a new higher power now, one she had been wandering toward for so long. Hecate.

Zelda took a deep breath and opened her eyes, the bedroom mostly dark save for several beams of moonlight sneaking in past gaps in the curtains. The clock read just past two. Knowing there was little purpose to lying restless in bed when her thoughts were so awfully loud, she found herself pulling a silk robe around her shoulders and slipping out into the hallway, down the stairs to the kitchen. A snack and a cigarette would do just fine.

The kitchen was quiet, Salem her only company as she searched for a tin of Hilda’s biscuits, spotting one ripe for the taking and opening the lid for the requisite inspection. Fresh shortbread dipped in chocolate. Perfection. Lighting her cigarette, she took a bite of the crumbly, buttery sweet chased by a long drag, proceeding leisurely to the other room. As she walked she lit candles with a wave of her hand. Unnecessary — she could walk these halls in her sleep — but comforting. 

She had only just crossed the threshold of the sitting room when she sensed the presence of another. A sharp look to her left found a figure sitting near the smoldering fireplace, alone. There was no mistaking that profile, that hair...

“For Hecate’s sake, Lilith...” 

Lilith lit the fireplace with a twitch of her fingers, the flames igniting in a sudden whoosh, heat warming Zelda’s cheeks. The demon blinked several times in the firelight, eyes adjusting and traveling the length of Zelda’s body, pausing almost imperceptibly on the small tin in the witch’s hand, the smoke curling up and away from her cigarette. “Can’t sleep, hmm?”

“Not that it’s any of your concern,” Zelda retorted, considering leaving in search of a different room. Ever since that night — that night in which desire had surfaced so suddenly, so intensely — she had largely managed to avoid Lilith, choosing to spend her time with family and Marie, Marie... her thoughts began to wander, broken only by movement, Lilith standing and looking at Zelda with that powerful stare that never failed to make her lose a breath. 

Lilith smiled, reading Zelda’s thoughts in her features, flames dancing in her eyes. In the space of a breath she centered herself, gathering emotions only experienced at night, alone — fear that had driven her here, trauma that had forced her to renounce everything she’d ever known in order to survive under the protection of an unfamiliar power — and shoving them down, locking them away for another time. Enough of that now. She stepped toward Zelda, so close she could hear the witch’s heart beating. 

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

Zelda swallowed, seeing Lilith’s eyes on her lips and unable to keep herself from recalling that kiss, those kisses... “Some of us have covens to run.” Her voice was husky, low.

Lilith smirked. “Ah. Things with Marie... all business, are they?” 

“With whom I choose to spend time is none of your concern,” Zelda repeated, voice firm despite the pounding of her heart in her ears as she raised her cigarette to her lips. She could feel her gaze drifting down to Lilith’s chest and forced her eyes upward. _For Hecate’s sake, focus..._

Lilith pursed her lips, desperate for the other witch to give into evident desire and wrap those slender fingers around her neck, shove her against the wall, crush her mouth into hers... Abruptly she broke the fantasy and swallowed, flashing a barely-there smile. “I know you want me,” she purred, her own heart beating a little faster as she took yet another step closer.

The confidence of that assertion sent a shiver up Zelda’s spine, the witch doing her utmost to keep her eyes from Lilith’s mouth. “No,” she heard herself say, turning her head as she stubbed out her unfinished cigarette. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” A lie, an utter lie and one Lilith would certainly spot immediately. 

Sure enough, the words had barely left her lips when Lilith laughed, a bright sound as startling as it was intoxicating. “Am I,” she asked after recovering, arching an eyebrow. “Tell me then, Zelda... tell me you _don’t_ want me.”

Zelda swallowed and straightened, feeling her energy shift at the challenge. _Curse you, Lilith…_ She glanced around the room, checking to be sure they were alone before offering a coy smile of her own. Eyes locked on Lilith’s, she could not stop herself from joining the unspoken game— “Begging now, are we?” 

The change in Lilith’s expression was subtle but immediate, eyes widening just slightly, shoulders rising as she sucked in air. Abandoning the tin of biscuits on a table, Zelda reached out to twist two fingers around a long, thick strand of dark hair, holding her gaze as she breathed, “Tell me you want _me_ , Lilith,” and pulled down firmly.

Caught by surprise, Lilith could not stop the gasp of pain that burst forth, her entire body flinching. Memories of Lucifer’s cruelty surfaced before she could wall them off, ghosts of trauma escaping their prisons. “Stop,” she hissed, voice hard and entirely devoid of playfulness as she yanked her head away, nostrils flaring. 

Zelda froze, stunned by the reaction. Just days ago Lilith had pulled her hair in this very same way, delighting in the moan the action elicited and asking Zelda to return the favor. She had declined, until now. And now the favor was refused. Even so, the urge to defend herself evaporated with a single glance at the demon’s face. 

Lilith looked... haunted. A flash of embarrassment momentarily clouded things, but within seconds all emotion was masked by a poker face that Zelda had seen once or twice before, its detachment never failing to unsettle. Soon she would turn and leave, and that would be that.

“I did not intend—“

“No,” Lilith interrupted, voice a tight whisper. A hand ran nervously through her hair, eyes shifting, blinking in the firelight. Zelda was watching, waiting, and yet she could not possibly begin to explain. “I’m... sorry.” The words were barely audible as she turned to leave. 

“Lilith,” Zelda said firmly, voice louder than was appropriate for the nighttime hour. But the demon queen did not stop and Zelda did not pursue her. Some things were better left alone, Zelda believed — and besides, she had her own ghosts to wrestle. _Until next time, then…_

\--------------------

Lilith did not sleep that night. Not that she had been sleeping much since the evening she had arrived at the mortuary to beg for asylum — but this was different. This was worse.

She should have known that asking Zelda to pull her hair the other evening had been a mistake. Should have known that even the raw desire she felt for the witch could not transform something abhorrent (Lucifer had used hair-pulling to punish, to control) into something tolerable, or pleasurable. Should have known that the action would give rise to ghosts of her not-yet-distant past, painful memories stinging like wounds, chest so tight she could barely breathe. Shortly after returning to her bedroom she realized her face was wet — tears. A mortal reaction, how utterly embarrassing.

Embarrassing but unstoppable, so it seemed. Lilith sank down onto her bed, head falling into her hands as she sobbed silently, memories vivid, suffocating. Minutes passed, hours. Only when the sky began to brighten did she force herself to the bathroom, head pounding, eyes puffy. Another morning, another day. Except on this day she could not face Zelda. No, it was her turn to do the avoiding this time.

Three days passed without an encounter between the two witches, Lilith seeking comfort in old habits. She made a game of flirting with any and all witches and warlocks who looked her way — most of them, it seemed. The control was like a drug, a reminder of the power she had once wielded. 

On the third night Lilith returned quite late to the mortuary, the witching hour come and gone. Despite having spent the evening teasing and toying with several warlocks, maddeningly her first thought upon landing in the mortuary was of Zelda.

Her desire for the witch had not, despite her best efforts, diminished. If anything, avoiding her for days had only intensified the fantasies she entertained, fueling her imagination. She wanted her, yes — but perhaps more than that, she wanted Zelda to want her. It was only fitting, then, that just as Lilith was picturing a barely-clothed Zelda held against the wall by her hand, there was a knock at the door. _Guess who._

Zelda was furious.

“Give me one reason I should not evict you from this house this very evening.”

Lilith arched an eyebrow, trying to mask her panic with amusement. “Afraid you’ll have to be more specific.”

“Whatever game you’re playing with nearly every member of my coven must stop immediately. Your presence is at best a distraction and at worst a poison to the entire order, threatening its very existence in this utterly fragile time. Is this how you mean to repay us, for saving your life?”

She was right, of course. Lilith’s rational side could see that, could see how poorly it reflected on her that she had regressed to using sex to manipulate mortals. But how on earth was she supposed to explain that falling back on old behaviors was the only thing keeping her sane in this new world, a world she had only entered when faced with certain death? 

She tilted her head, leaning against the door frame. “Has anyone been harmed?”

There was a pause, Zelda’s fury just barely held back. “Your behavior is unacceptable.”

Lilith looked at Zelda’s lips, eyes scanning down the black robe she wore only late at night, silk draped over her body just so. _Beautiful._ She knew she should apologize, promise to stop fucking half the coven. Instead she smiled, gaze drifting to Zelda’s chest as her fingers began to undo the buttons on her coat. “Are you… jealous?” 

Zelda just stared, eyes narrowing with angry disbelief. How dare Lilith turn this on her, how dare she turn this into just another game. She swallowed, memories of the dream she’d had the previous night surfacing despite her best efforts, eyes wandering to Lilith’s fingers deftly undoing the top buttons of her coat. Whatever garment lay underneath was trimmed with black lace, undoubtedly some sort of lingerie...

Zelda cleared her throat and took a single step back, not trusting herself to stay long enough for Lilith to finish removing her outerwear. “Your asylum will be revoked if this behavior continues. The choice is yours.” 

With that, she turned on her heel and marched down the hall. The demon queen watched her disappear, a mix of anger, arousal, and fear coiling in her chest. Zelda wouldn’t dare. Would she?

Swallowing against sudden nausea, Lilith slammed the door and tore off her coat, raising it to her mouth just in time to muffle a long-overdue scream. 

_Fuck you, Zelda Spellman._

Oh, but how badly she wanted to…


	2. power

There was no apology the next morning, nor did Zelda expect one. The demon queen rarely appeared at the table for breakfast, often doing hell knew what until surfacing at the academy well after noon. Even so, her absence on this particular morning set the high priestess’ mind turning with the many possibilities as to her whereabouts and activities. The distraction was such that Zelda failed to realize she had eaten next to nothing until Marie laid a hand on her shoulder ever so gently, startling her away from her thoughts as Hilda began to clear the table.

Zelda lowered her newspaper and smiled, attempting to reassure the other witch that nothing was amiss. The attempt would fail, she knew — Marie was maddeningly perceptive, so much so that Zelda had on more than one occasion accused her of telepathy. 

Sure enough, Marie simply fixed Zelda with a knowing look, eyes flicking to her lips before scanning the room to ensure the other Spellmans were out of earshot. “If it may be any comfort to you, she has yet to leave her room,” she murmured, taking a slow sip of tea. 

Zelda took a deep breath, raising her dwindling cigarette to her lips as she arched an eyebrow. “Our guest is the least of my concerns this morning,” she responded, taking a long drag. “But your information is... appreciated.”

Marie just smiled, leaning close to whisper in Zelda’s ear, “You know I am not the jealous type, _ma chérie_. How you handle our... guest... is your choice alone. But you may confide in me at any time.” And with a gentle squeeze of Zelda’s shoulder, she left the table.

Zelda sighed, taking a single bite from the pastry on her plate before stubbing out her cigarette. She did not wish to _handle_ Lilith at all. How much easier things would be if the demon queen simply ignored her ultimatum and gave her a good reason to revoke asylum... perhaps then the fantasies would cease. 

_Was that what she wanted?_ She cleared her throat and stood, determined to focus her mind on anything other than the demon upstairs. A distraction, that was all Lilith was. A temporary distraction.

If only she believed that.

\---

It was a productive day, all things considered. There was no sign of Lilith at the Academy, allowing for hours of undisturbed teaching and work. Only once was Zelda interrupted by thoughts of the other witch, a sudden snapshot from a dream, skin on skin, hands in hair... _none of that, now._

It was nearly eight when she reached a suitable stopping point, head aching from squinting at small text in candlelight. With an elbow resting on the desk she massaged her temples, letting her thoughts drift to Marie — if only she were here, now... she always knew how best to soothe.

To the mortuary, then. 

Dinner was being served just as she walked into the kitchen, Hilda welcoming her with what seemed to be genuine glee regarding the timing. “Calm down, sister, for Hecate’s sake,” Zelda replied, rolling her eyes. But then she spotted Marie leaning against the counter, hair up, skirt hugging her hips just so. Zelda fought the urge to smile, feeling her body almost instantly relax. How unnerving it was, the witch’s effect on her... but laying in her arms would have to wait.

The evening meal was unremarkable until the very end, when Hilda rose to put the kettle on and Zelda was suddenly pulled from her conversation with Marie by an across-the-table mention of Lilith.

“What about Lilith, Ambrose?” Zelda interrupted, ashing her cigarette and shifting in her chair. Marie’s eyes flicked between the two Spellmans, curious. 

“Migraine, Auntie,” Ambrose replied, leaning back in his chair.

“The former queen of hell does not get _migraines_ ,” Zelda said, suspicions properly aroused. “Have—"

“Well of course she doesn’t use that word, it’s Lilith,” Sabrina interrupted, drawing Zelda’s eyes. The young witch shrugged, picking up her plate. “She said she gets headaches when she’s been away from Lucifer too long. And it’s been a couple weeks now, so...”

“Lucifer no longer has any power, here,” Zelda countered. Surely Lilith was lying. 

Sabrina just shrugged again. “He controlled her for centuries. Probably not something that just poofs away overnight, right?”

“Poor thing,” Hilda chimed in as she returned to her seat, earning one of Zelda’s signature glares. “Well you know how that is, Zelds, awful pain for anyone to—"

“Yes, sister, I do,” Zelda interjected, in no mood to be reminded of the pounding in her own head on this particular evening. “Have any of you actually _seen_ Lilith today, or are you simply speculating as to her condition?”

It was Ambrose who responded first, two fingers raised in tentative acknowledgement. Zelda raised her eyebrows slightly, as if to say, _'go on...’_

“Nothing much to report, I’m afraid,” he replied, eyes flicking to Hilda before darting away. “Just, ah... having a rather unfortunate go of things, is all.”

 _Rather unfortunate,_ was that how Lilith was presenting herself... Zelda stared hard at Hilda, certain her sister knew more than she was letting on. It was not long before Hilda began to squirm under her gaze and tossed her hands up in surrender, flustered as ever.

“Not much else to say, Zelds! I’ve given her a potion, is all, same I give you for one of your spells...”

Zelda felt a pang of... something at the image of Lilith laying curled on her side in a dark room, miserable enough to accept one of Hilda’s dreadful-tasting potions. Perhaps the witch wasn’t lying, after all. Perhaps they had something in common, though certainly this was not what Marie had in mind weeks ago when asking Zelda to consider their similarities as well as their differences...

“Well,” Zelda replied, squaring her shoulders. “This will all be forgotten by morning, I’m sure.” With that she rose from the table, no longer interested in tea or further conversation. Marie would find her later, she knew, after giving her space to decompress. 

It was time to pay the demon queen a visit.

\---

Upstairs, the house was quiet, flames flickering in wall sconces. Nothing unusual, until Zelda turned a corner and spotted the door to the guest room — Lilith’s room — left ajar. Quickly she scanned the hallway, searching for signs of trouble. Nothing. Even so, Zelda approached the door with caution. If Lilith was in fact incapacitated, surely she would have closed the door, or asked Hilda to do so on her way out... surely she would not have wanted light and noise streaming in from the—

“Looking for me?”

Startled, Zelda spun around, spotting Lilith standing only a few meters away. “You _must_ stop doing that,” she breathed, hand to her chest. 

Silent, Lilith leaned against the wall.

Zelda turned fully toward her, searching for signs of discomfort. But the light was too dim, Lilith a few paces too far for a proper look. And the clothing she was wearing— was that an emerald dressing gown? “Where have you been?” 

Lilith wrapped her fingers around a thin wrist, eyes on Zelda. “No one told you.” 

Unwilling to offer the demon an easy alibi, Zelda feigned ignorance. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

Still leaning on the wall, Lilith shifted her weight. “I’ve... yet to discover how to entirely rid myself of Lucifer’s... punishments.” Her voice was uneven, breathing shallow.

Perhaps Sabrina was right. Or perhaps this was all an act, a ploy to garner pity and distract Zelda from the ultimatum she had issued not even twenty four hours prior. “Lucifer cannot harm you here. If you are attempting to deceive—"

“It’s a difficult tie to sever,” Lilith interrupted, wincing and swallowing hard. It was then that Zelda noticed the demon’s hands trembling, a look of genuine pain crossing her face...

Zelda felt a rush of empathy, so strong she briefly considered offering to fetch another potion from Hilda. But no, that was unnecessary — Lilith could take care of herself, had proven as much for centuries, and Zelda had no intention of letting a simple migraine (whatever the origin) derail her efforts to protect her coven. “Well, I’ll leave you to rest, then,” she said finally, trying not to notice how small the demon looked, barely able to keep herself upright, fire gone from her eyes.

“Yes, goodnight,” Lilith managed, walking slowly past Zelda into her bedroom and shutting the door before doubling over in pain, hands cradling her head as she swallowed against the urge to scream. 

\---

Laying in bed beside Marie that night Zelda struggled to sleep, unable to keep her mind from conjuring image after image of Lilith curled up in pain, trembling, alone. It was a maddening few hours. She knew she should not care one bit about the demon’s suffering, not after the significant trouble she had caused her family and her coven. Zelda had saved her life; surely that was enough.

Even so, laying on her back in the darkness Zelda let her mind wander to the night they had kissed. The brush of Lilith’s skin, the heat of her mouth, the firm tug of fingers in her hair... she remembered the encounter vividly. The arguing, the goading, the eye contact, the tension... the way Lilith had pressed her palm to her chest and pinned her to the wall, the shock of it... the kiss, catching them both by surprise, fury mixing with magic mixing with desire... and the hair pulling, enough to make her moan, enough to return her to her senses, to make her pull away.

Lilith was nothing like Marie, nothing like Faustus. There was a wildness there, a fire, a magic unlike any she had encountered paired with a brokenness she had only just begun to recognize. And despite their history, despite Marie, despite Lilith’s true nature, despite _everything,_ Zelda — as loathe as she was to admit it — was intrigued.

It was just before daybreak when she found herself, irritated and exhausted, walking the hallways to the guest room once more, determined to do whatever she could to rid her mind of the persistent thoughts, thoughts that would not allow her even a moment of sleep. If she could simply ensure the demon was alright, perhaps that would offer some sort of comfort, allow her brain the space to shut down long enough for even an hour of rest.

What she found brought the precise opposite of comfort.

The door was closed this time, yet quickly opened by Zelda’s hand when she reached the threshold and was instantly met by the metallic taste of iron mixed with a suffocating feeling of dread. _No..._

Inside, Lilith was sitting on the floor facing the fireplace, hair pinned back, robe slipped off her shoulders. Zelda’s eyes immediately landed on her back, bare save for an unmistakable, crimson mark — a Devil’s claw. And blood. A trail of blood.

“Lilith,” Zelda breathed, air so thick with dark magic she was not sure Lilith had heard her. That mark... if she carried it, it could only mean—

“Stay away,” Lilith warned, her voice gravely, pained. She turned her head, then, revealing eyes nearly black, cheeks nearly white. Frightened, Zelda fought the urge to step back, instead quickly shutting the door behind her.

“Explain yourself,” she demanded, braced for confrontation.

“This must be done alone,” Lilith snapped, turning back to the fire and reaching for a dusty spell book sitting open on the floor beside her. Zelda could not help but stare at her back — smooth, toned, pale save for the angry marks, the blood staining a crimson path down her spine. 

“ _What_ must be done alone?” Zelda’s mouth was dry, mind turning — why had the claw appeared on Lilith’s back? And why now? Why was it bleeding? What sort of magic was she tangling with? If she was attempting to break the protection spell and summon Lucifer... Zelda would need to alert the entire mortuary, immediately, gather strength to—

“I’m removing it.” Lilith turned back to Zelda, pain in her eyes. Then, softer— “This does not concern you. Leave, before you get hurt.”

Removing the Devil’s claw was impossible. Zelda knew that as well as any witch or warlock who worshipped — well, _had worshipped_ — Satan. “To even attempt such a thing is to risk death,” Zelda protested, glancing once more at the blood on Lilith’s back. “You can not possibly think—"

“Help me, then.”

Zelda stood frozen, heart pounding hard and fast. Never before had she even considered attempting to counter magic of this sort — to do so was impossible, not to mention blasphemy, deserving of excommunication. But things were different, now. She no longer prayed to the Dark Lord, no longer worshipped one who demanded she sign over her soul... and here Lilith sat, injured, desperate. 

She swallowed nerves. Another thought had joined the chaos in her brain, one she did not wish to even acknowledge— _What if she was not strong enough?_ She forced the thought away and approached Lilith slowly, eyes scanning the room for any threats she may have missed. “What do you need?” 

“Energy,” came the immediate reply, Lilith extending a hand to invite Zelda to join her on the floor. The witch narrowed her eyes — she could not remember the last time she had sat on a floor voluntarily. But then Lilith shuddered, hand falling back to her side as her body nearly convulsed, flames flickering and sputtering for several seconds. _Fuck._

Zelda sank down onto her knees, laying a hand on Lilith’s upper arm. The shaking ceased. Zelda could not stop herself from looking at the other witch’s chest, visible now, her breasts stained with what looked like streaks of dried blood. She swallowed, forcing her eyes elsewhere. “Take what you need,” she murmured, praying that Lilith knew what she was doing. 

Lilith groped for Zelda’s hand, the warmth of the witch’s flesh landing like a shock of electricity. She could smell patchouli in Zelda’s perfume and tried to focus on it, tried to distract herself from her body’s rapid march toward unconsciousness — dry mouth, narrowing vision, pounding head. _How much blood had she lost?_ “No,” she murmured in response to Zelda’s offer. “You must stop me if I... overreach.” And then, to stave off the question that would surely follow, “You will know.”

In some distant corner of her brain she realized that she was sitting half-naked, Zelda seeing her bare chest for the first time. She hoped the witch enjoyed the view. Despite the blood. Despite the danger and the risk of death. Right. She took a breath, centering what little energy she had left. This was the final attempt, she knew. The spell was complicated, the type of intricate dark magic she had been practicing of late, never expecting to need it so soon. But she saw no other choice. Lucifer’s brand had resurfaced unexpectedly, and much more painfully than on previous occasions — this was the only path forward, lest she choose to endure excruciating pain for days every few weeks, indefinitely. Either it would work or it would not. Or, perhaps, she would die. There was only one way to find out.

One hand gripping Zelda’s, she began to murmur the spell as she slowly slid her other hand directly into the flames, pulling at the witch’s energy from her core, magic burning through her veins. Everything hurt. Perhaps she was screaming; after a moment she was no longer aware of anything other than the spell and the brutal, toxic magic she was attempting to purge from her body.

At the edge of consciousness, on the precipice of defeat there was a sudden burst of energy, enough to pull her back from the brink, to strangle what was left of Lucifer’s magic. And then there was nothing.

The spell was complete.

Lilith collapsed, falling sideways and hitting the floor, hard. Had she been conscious, she would have seen Zelda nearly do the same, energy replenishing _just_ quickly enough to prevent her from fainting.

The fire went out, plunging the room into darkness.

Palms flat on the floor, Zelda sucked down oxygen, body shuddering, magic surging through her veins. When she could finally move again she lit a handful of candles and half-crawled to Lilith’s side, searching for a pulse. She was alive. And the claw was fading, wound healing before her eyes.

She swore. For fuck’s sake, Lilith had nearly killed them both. And yet alongside the indignant fury there was... admiration, mixed with respect. The power required to execute such a spell was almost impossible to comprehend, let alone wield...

Several minutes passed, minutes Zelda would later be unable to account for. Finally, Lilith opened her eyes.

She felt different. Broken, exhausted — but different. Better. She took a breath, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight. An attempt to speak failed; her mouth was sealed with phantom cotton. She sat up instead, turning to check her shoulder. Unmarked. Healed. Eyes wide, she tugged her blood-stained robe up over her chest, suddenly self-conscious.

From the bed, Zelda was watching her.

 _Thank you,_ she wanted to say, though it was not enough. She looked at the glass of water on the bedside table. Message received, Zelda handed it to her, an unreadable look on her face. 

“How does one repay another for a life twice saved?” Lilith asked finally, setting the empty glass on the floor.

“It was your own doing, this time,” Zelda replied. Pride and ego aside, she could not possibly claim responsibility for the act in which she had just partaken. She watched Lilith stand, still struggling to understand the enormity of what had transpired.

It occurred to her, suddenly, watching the exhausted demon attempt a smile and run a blood-stained hand through utterly disheveled hair — this witch, the very first witch, the witch she had by turns despised and worshipped, the witch she had saved from the fallen deity she had prayed to for centuries... this witch carried a power greater than any Zelda had ever laid eyes on. 

And so, rising to make her exit, Zelda was forced to acknowledge the truth. 

She was no longer simply intrigued by Lilith.  
She wanted her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments appreciated! thank you for reading x


End file.
